Tennis stars feel the heat in Sydney

By

Updated 4:22 PM ET, Tue January 8, 2013

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Photos:Tennis stars feel the heat in Sydney

'Too hot for tennis' – World no. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska claimed temperatures that reached 41.4 degrees in Sydney were "too hot for tennis" at the Apia International tournament. Australia is currently sweltering under its hottest skies for over 100 years.

Hide Caption

1 of 5

Photos:Tennis stars feel the heat in Sydney

My number one fan – Officials decided not to suspend play despite scorching heat. Here, world No. 10 Caroline Wozniacki makes use of a fan and an ice towel during a break in her match.

Hide Caption

2 of 5

Photos:Tennis stars feel the heat in Sydney

Ice Age – Qualifier Galina Voskoboeva buries her face in an ice towel during a break in her defeat to Germany's Angelique Kerber. The Russian had to take a medical time out after struggling with the heat.

Hide Caption

3 of 5

Photos:Tennis stars feel the heat in Sydney

Water cooler – Spaniard Tommy Robredo is used to high temperatures but even he needed to take unusual measures to cope in Sydney.

Hide Caption

4 of 5

Photos:Tennis stars feel the heat in Sydney

In the shade – A young fan takes on water under the shade of their umbrella at Sydney Olympic Park.

Hide Caption

5 of 5

Story highlights

Record temperatures hit Australia during tennis tournament in Sydney

Stifling heat of 41.4 degrees make conditions uncomfortable for players

World No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska claims it was "too hot" to play

Monday confirmed by Australia Bureau of Meteorology as hottest since records began

The 2013 tennis season may only be in its fledgling stages but already the heat is well and truly on for those preparing for the year's first major.

As the great and good on the men's and women's circuits fine tune their game ahead of the Australian Open that starts in Melbourne on Monday, they are having to contend with stifling temperatures in Sydney.

According to the Australia Bureau of Meteorology, Monday was the hottest day in the country since records began over 100 years ago with an average temperature of 40.3 degrees.

Officials in New South Wales have warned of a "catastrophic" fire threat as strong winds combine with the heat to increase the danger of bushfires spreading out of control.

Players had to battle heat that reached 41.4 deg in Sydney, with world No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska claiming it was "too hot" to play and that officials should have halted proceedings under their extreme heat policy.

But the Pole, along with the other players scheduled on Tuesday, battled through the searing sunshine with the help of regular breaks, ice towels and gallons of liquid.

"I think this is too hot to play tennis," Radwanska told reporters at a press conference. "Even for players, for ball kids, for even the people sitting out there, I think it's just too hot."

Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat – Fire fighters battle a grass fire in Oura, near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales on January 8, 2013.

Hide Caption

3 of 12

Photos:Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat

Heat map – These weather maps are produced from computer models and are used by forecasters to develop the official weather maps, which contain added features such as cold fronts.

Hide Caption

4 of 12

Photos:Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat

Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat – Southern states of Australia were hit by soaring temperatures on January 8, 2013, raising the risk of bushfires in the region. Thousands of firefighters were deployed in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania as strong winds fanned flames.

Hide Caption

5 of 12

Photos:Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat

Sydney swelters during heatwave – Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia was packed with people attempting to cool down as temperatures hit 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit).

Hide Caption

6 of 12

Photos:Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat

Sydney swelters during heatwave – The soaring temperatures, coupled with strong winds, raised the fire risk to "extreme" or higher across 90% of the state.

Hide Caption

7 of 12

Photos:Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat

Sydney swelters during heatwave – A lifeguard sign warns beach-goers of the high temperatures at Tamarama Beach in Sydney on January 8.

Hide Caption

8 of 12

Photos:Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat

Sydney swelters during heatwave – Tourists cover themselves with towels to protect themselves from the sun on one of the hottest days on record.

Hide Caption

9 of 12

Photos:Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat

Sydney swelters during heatwave – Tommy Robredo of Spain rests next to a fan in between games in his first round match against John Millman of Australia during day three of Sydney International at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre.

Hide Caption

10 of 12

Photos:Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat

Sydney swelters during heatwave – A pair of Zebras attempts to eat an iced carrot block at Taronga Zoo.

Hide Caption

11 of 12

Photos:Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat

Sydney swelters during heatwave – The fire rating reached "catastrophic" in four areas of New South Wales, prompting warnings from Prime Minister Julia Gillard that Tuesday was a "dangerous day."

Hide Caption

12 of 12

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Kim Clijsters' glittering career – Kim Clijsters retired from professional tennis for a second time at the U.S. Open in September 2012. The Belgian won four grand slam titles in a 15-year career which included a two-year break between 2007 and 2009.

Hide Caption

1 of 10

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Family act – Kim Clijsters with daughter Jada and the 2010 U.S. Open trophy after beating Vera Zvonareva in the final.

Hide Caption

2 of 10

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Dancing queens – Clijsters came out of retirement the previous year, having taken time out to have her first child. She defeated Caroline Wozniacki in the 2009 final after receiving a wild-card entry to the season's closing grand slam.

Hide Caption

3 of 10

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

New York, New York – Clijsters had a love affair with New York. Here she climbs into the family area after the 2005 U.S. Open final after beating France's Mary Pierce 6-3 6-1 to clinch her first grand slam title.

Hide Caption

4 of 10

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Initial retirement – The Belgian suffered a shock 6-7 (3-7) 3-6 loss to Julia Vakulenko in 2007 in what proved to be her final match before retiring for the first time. Clijsters took time away from the sport to raise her family and gave birth to Jada in 2008.

Hide Caption

5 of 10

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Three and easy – Clijsters defended her Flushing Meadows crown in 2010, avenging her defeat by Russia's Zvonareva in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon -- a loss she told CNN "hurt her the most."

Hide Caption

6 of 10

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Aussie Kim – Clijsters enjoys popularity in Australia thanks to ex-boyfriend and male tennis star Lleyton Hewitt. She was overcome with emotion after defeating Li Na of China to clinch the 2011 Australian Open -- the fourth grand slam title of her career.

Hide Caption

7 of 10

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Final split? – The daughter of a footballer and a gymnast, Clijsters is renowned for her on-court splits -- an ability which originated from her early years on clay courts but was later transferred to other surfaces.

Hide Caption

8 of 10

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Final defeat – Clijsters' final singles match was a loss against unseeded British teenager Laura Robson in the second round of the 2012 U.S. Open. She also competed in the mixed doubles competition with Bob Bryan, but they too lost in the second round.

Hide Caption

9 of 10

Photos:Kim Clijsters' glittering career

Thank you and goodbye – Clijsters put on a series of farewell matches in her homeland to say thank you and goodbye to her hoards of Belgian fans.

Hide Caption

10 of 10

One saving grace for Radwanska was her quick 6-4 6-3 victory over Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm which meant she was only on court for 68 minutes.

Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova battled through to a 7-6 1-6 6-2 victory over former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, though both players benefited from a heat break before contesting the deciding set.

Kuznetsova told reporters: "I think it shows you one more time how tough the tennis is right now. How players have to be fit to play in the hot conditions, the windy conditions. We're like iron women almost.

"It was very hot out there. In the second set the heat definitely disturbed me a lot. But the break really helped me before the third set."

The 2011 French Open champion, Li Na of China, was quoted as saying by AFP that she felt like she was "playing in a sauna."

Germany's Angelique Kerber triumphed 6-2 7-5 over Russian qualifier Galina Voskoboeva who took a medical time out because of the extreme heat.

Kerber: "It was unbelievably hot. Usually I practice before my matches, 30 to 35 minutes, today it was just 10 or 15 minutes because I couldn't play more. It's tough to play in these conditions.

"I was trying to focus on the next point and not thinking about the heat, the sun and the weather. The whole match was tough from the first point. I'm happy I won in two sets."

Temperatures were due to cool off for Wednesday's play but by the end of the week the thermometer will be back up to 37 degrees in Melbourne, according to Jenny Harrison from the CNN Weather Center.

She told CNN's World Sport show: "We do see this every couple of years but this is record-breaking heat. Monday has been confirmed as the hottest day across Australia since records began.

"It looks as if Tuesday, once we get the stats in, could be the hottest day and outdo Monday.

"What has happened in the last few hours is a front has come through across the south east of Australia. In literally an hour the temperature in Sydney has dropped more than 10 degrees.

"Melbourne is cooler than that as the front went through there first. But in Melbourne by the end of the week the temperature is going to rise again, getting well above average."